Noise reduction of plenum windows on the façade of a high-rise residential building next to heavy road traffic

Extensive traffic noise transmission loss measurements were carried out inside selected residential units of a standalone 32-storey housing block located next to a very busy and noisy main trunk road in the present study. A total of 35 units, which were all equipped with plenum windows, was surveyed. These plenum windows are intended to help reduce noise exposure of the residents and at the same time allow for a reasonable level of natural ventilation. The results show that the traffic noise transmission losses of the unit façades installed with the plenum windows adopted in this housing block vary between 10.6 and 13.0 dBA and are only weakly dependent on elevation from the trunk road. The results also validate in-situ the prediction model established previously by the authors using laboratory and site mockup data. Generalized models for both empirical and experimental estimation of the traffic noise transmission loss across a residential flat unit façade installed with multiple plenum windows are developed. The differences between their estimations are well within engineering tolerance. •Traffic noise in congested cities has become more serious over the years.•Closing windows is not a solution as it will jeopardize indoor air quality.•Plenum windows offer good sound reduction and allow for natural ventilation.•Their on-site performance tested and noise reduction prediction formula validated.•The prediction formula is generalized for façades with many such windows.